TargetTalk

While dry firing last night I was setting up my right hand grip and came to wondering why I haven’t heard one of the ‘fundamentals’ that I was taught anywhere else. I'm also wondering what the expert shooters think of this gripping method? Indeed, what are the experts’ gripping methods with their right hand?

When I was on a service rifle shooting team the experienced shots drilled us rookies that when we were holding the pistol grip of the rifle (or pistol) we should only be gripping with the middle and ring finger of our right hand (right handed rifle).
Their explanation was that the tendons connecting the trigger finger and the little finger were connected (or crossed over) in the wrist and that if you gripped firmly with your little finger, your trigger pull wouldn’t be as smooth.
I never questioned the logic of it as I don't know for sure whether these two tendons are in fact connected, and the method seems to work for me. This is the way I have always shot, and I normally shoot with my little finger so relaxed that is off the hand grip completely. When I played around with the idea while dry firing I found that there was a difference in the trigger release (for me anyway) if I gripped firmly (not hard!) with my little finger while releasing a shot.

As I said though, I haven’t seen or heard of this referred to anywhere else.

Any thoughts?

Well, if it works for you, great, but it's not what the smallbore OR high power coaching book says. The usefulness of the right hand (if a righty) is to help stabilize the rifle while your trigger finger does its thing. It should not be tightly gripping the gun; rather, it should be just holding it. The only major tension should be on your trigger finger, and then only squeezing it slowly. With the exception of your index finger, your hand should be like a mitt and "catch" the grip evenly.

If I saw even one shooter gripping with their right hand, I'd immediately ask why they were gripping it and suggest a different approach.

OK as a musician (guitar and piano) - I'd have to say that the trigger (index) finger and little finger are NOT connected, they are entirely independent.

The little finger and ring finger - different matter...
Curling the little finger causes the ring finger to curl somewhat too.
Keeping the fingers straight you can move all independently.


Ken.

i always taught to have a little tension in you grip. so it locks your wrist.

I will agree that in prone and kneeling positions there is no need to hold the grip very tight. Many of the best shooters in the world like Matt Emmons and Rajmond Debevech hold the grip very firm in standing position. The fingers of Rajmond looks white because of the presure he uses on the grip hand.
Some shooters pull the rifle back towards the shoulder in order to control the movement and the recoil of the rifle. In my opinion,a firm grip helps aspecialy at high level of arousal. It's very important to have the same pre sure on the grip from shot to shot in order to achieve consistent recoil.
Guy.